Suikoden Zenkaiwohabamu
by Serenity Frost
Summary: It is three years after Suikoden 3, and our main character, in tradition with the games, has her fate thrust upon her in the form of a true rune. To read all the new chapters go to my DeviantArt page.
1. Chapter 1

Suikoden Zenkaiwohabamu

すいこでん ぜんかいをはばむ

**Chapter 1**

Maki's crisp blue eyes focused on the book that lay upon her desk. A stray wave of dark red hair slipped from her pink ear and danced mockingly in her face. She grunted softly and tucked it back only to have it fall down again.

"Miss Daly." The teacher currently running study hall stepped in front of Maki's desk. "That was the call for dinner." The woman's soft brown eyes smiled down at Maki through her thick round glasses that managed to magnify them, yet not distort the sheer amounts of emotion they often expressed.

"Thank you Teacher Darla." Maki smiled back at the short rotund woman and started to gather her books.

Maki followed the flow of students toward the cafeteria, but broke away from them once they were outside of the main building. She walked along the emptied path of stone with the moonlight as her only guide back to the dorms. She would have at least an hour there to read in peace and this thought made her smile. That smile snapped back to her usual blank expression when she heard someone else walking along behind her.

"You really shouldn't neglect your nutrition, Miss Daly." Reprimanded a voice all too familiar to her. Maki restrained her agitation because, whether she wanted to or not, she had to show this woman her respect.

"Yes, Teacher Nina." She turned to face the tall young woman with long, wavy, blond hair and biting brown eyes. Her arms were folded just so across her chest and her foot tapped the cobble. Maki almost asked what else the nosey woman wanted with her, but decided to wait for her to tell her anyway.

"Well?" Nina continued to eye her down.

"Well what, Teacher Nina?" Maki asked as respectfully as she could muster.

"What exactly did you think you were going to do out here by yourself?" Nina asked. "Were you going to meet someone in the woods under the moonlight? Perhaps even sneak out into 'lover's cabin' for a little romantic dinner? I don't see you bringing anything to eat. It's not ladylike to expect your man to make dinner for you, you know."

"I'm not-" Maki started to explain herself, but was cut off.

"Not that you're all that ladylike to begin with. Look at that hair stuffed into that lazy ponytail, that crooked skirt, even the lenses on those little round things sitting atop your nose are dirty."

"They're glasses." Maki pushed them up the bridge a bit.

"Please, you couldn't possibly be able to see anything through them." Nina rolled her eyes.

"I only need them to read." Maki's respectful tone was slipping. "Which is what I'd planned on doing."

"You were going to meet up with a boy to read? That's hardly romantic. Honestly, Daly, I worry about you." Nina grabbed Maki's skirt and straightened it.

"May I go now?" Maki asked as she watched the woman continue to neaten her outfit.

"You know, a little make-up wouldn't hurt either." Nina told her.

"Teacher Nina." Maki growled. Nina let go of Maki's clothes and righted herself.

"Oh fine, do whatever you like. See if I ever help you with that disaster of a love life of yours again." Nina waved Maki off and walked toward the cafeteria. Maki quickened her pace to the dorms in case someone else decided to cut into her precious private time.

Maki got to her room unhindered and was deeply reading about the Dunan Unification War when a knock at the door snapped her back to reality. She held back the obscenity that almost snapped through her teeth before getting up to answer it.

"You, uh, you missed dinner again." Said a young black haired boy with big round tinted glasses that shrouded nervous gray eyes. He held up a tray of food for her. Maki took it and went inside.

"Thanks, Mat." She sighed and left the door open to let him know it was okay to follow her in. He found a chair to sit on while Maki used her desk to eat.

"What are you reading?"

"This chapter on the Dunan Unification war. That Luca Blight guy was really messed up, but then since he lost the war I guess they could just demonize him as much as they want to, right?" Maki bit into an apple and went back to reading.

"No, I think he really was like that. At least, mom says he was." Mat declared. His voice was always stronger when he was just talking to Maki. "Dad doesn't correct her, so..."

"Oh yeah, your folks were in this war weren't they?" She said with some meat pushed to the side of her mouth so it wouldn't fly out while she spoke.

"I think most of the students here had parents that were in the war." Mat replied. "Actually, I think you might be the only one here who didn't."

"Hey, can I help it Kanakan is on the other side of the planet?" Maki stabbed some vegetables. "Not that they'd have fought anyway. Dad might have sent the Allied Army some wine or something."

"I'm sure they'd have appreciated it." Mat chuckled. He looked out the door when they heard the faint mutter of approached voices. "I gotta go." He said and hurried out. Maki found it kind of funny how he was so paranoid about people finding them alone in rooms together. Of course, since the last time had been Teacher Nina catching them, she wasn't too surprised about the reason.

Maki focused on her book again in hopes that doing so might drown out the chirping of her approaching roommates.

"You still studying?" Asked one of them snidely when she saw Maki trying to read. "You are such a dork. I can't believe they let you dorm in here."

"My dad can pay for it just as well as yours, Anita." Maki didn't return the snide tone seeing as how she didn't care what this girl's opinion was. "Probably more."

"How DARE you! My father is the Plenipotentiary of Two River!" Anita snapped indignantly.

"Oh, so he doesn't have to pay at all."

"That's right! He and President Teresa are good friends!"

"And that makes you better than me." Maki got up. "We've really got to come up with a new argument. This one is so tired." She snapped her book shut and walked out of the room. She could hear Anita fuming with the other girls as she walked to the stairs.

With a lightly frustrated sigh she continued to walk the main building's empty halls. She'd used the secret tunnel from the dorm's basement to get in there, and now she just had to get to the other side of the building without being noticed by a late working teacher. It wasn't a difficult task and once she'd pushed the bust of the school's founder at the end of a lonely hallway she walked through the door that opened and into the woods. It was then just a brief walk to 'lover's cabin' as Nina had called it. No one really used it as a love nest though, not since Teacher Nina had a habit of spying on the students that would sneak out to it. Maki had started to use it as sort of her own personal living quarters for the past month. Mostly so she could escape the annoyance of Anita and her gaggle of girls who decided to target Maki with often poorly planned prank. Maki's avoidance of all pranks to date seemed to have just made Anita that much meaner.

Maki went to the bed and lay down. She didn't bother opening the book again. She was pretty confident she would ace the exam on the war in the morning and anymore reading could likely jeopardize that with stress. Maki closed her eyes and planned on getting some peaceful sleep when a strange noise made her open them and see the blue orb of light that expanded in her room. Inside the fading orb stood a woman in light blue robes with a hood covering her eyes. Maki, now convinced she had fallen asleep after all, paid no mind to her.

"Greetings, child." The woman's voice was firm and gentle. It had a serious lilt that made Maki snap to attention. "I am Leknaat the seer. Wielder of the Back Gate Rune."

"Hello, Leknaat the seer. I am Maki Daly, wielder of this really thick book that I know how to beat a creative prank to death with." Maki declared.

"I am no prank. I've come to bring you a message of things to come." Leknaat's tone was calm and her face expressionless. What little of her face Maki could see, that is. Maki found herself instantly believing the woman. "There is a great danger looming over the horizon. A danger that can only be met with the power of the twenty seven True Runes if mankind is to survive."

"What...what does that have to do with me?" Maki stammered.

"You, born under the Tenkai star, have been branded with a different kind of fate because of this rune." Leknaat held an orb in her hand that looked to be made of glass. "The Kismet Rune can only be wielded by one born under the Chief Star of Heaven that has yet to be touched by the hands of fate, and can only be used when it has been touched once by the power of all other True Runes." As Leknaat held the orb toward Maki the glass swirled with the colors of the prism and the orb lifted from her hands to float over to the stunned girl. As Maki stared into the swirl of colors she thought she could hear it singing softly before it thrust itself onto her forehead causing her to fling back onto the bed.

She woke up in a daze that lasted until the morning air graced her face when she'd stepped outside. Determined that the night had been a strange dream she made her way to class.

"Morning, Maki." Mat greeted as he sat on the chair next to hers. He set his books into their mutual desk taking great care not to use too much room. "Is that a rune?" He asked as he focused on something on her forehead. "Did you have that yesterday?"

"Rune?" Maki's fingers reached up and ran along the warm glassy surface. "Then it was real."

"What was real?" Mat asked.

"Last night. I was visited by-" Maki stopped when she saw the War Strategies teacher looming over them angrily. "Sorry." She shrank into her chair as the man walked back to the front of the room. He cleared his throat and started his usual speech on the importance of understanding history in order to predict the future. Maki had heard many variations of this speech before, so she felt comfortable ignoring it to think back on what she'd been told by the seer. The woman's words played back clear as day, but the odd thing was that she seemed to be telling them to herself. The woman's voice was there, but she was watching herself on the bed as they were being said.

"MISS Daly!" The War Strategies teacher's barking of her name ripped her back into reality with such force that her temples throbbed with pain. "Are you ill?" He asked. The pain must have been quite visible for it to make his tone soften with concern.

"N-no. No, sir." Maki shook her head gently.

"When you've finished your test go see one of the medical teachers." He told her curtly just as the one of the test papers circulating the room was passed to her.

"Yes, sir." She nodded and turned her focus onto the test.

Question 1: What strategy did Shu use during the first battle against Luca Blight?

Maki looked the question over and her thought wandered to what was written in the textbook. Usually at this point she'd be reading the words again in her mind, but this time the world around her melted into another. She was standing in a castle surrounded by unfamiliar faces but one man in front of her who looked like Mat only much older, more confident, and without his glasses.

"Lord Riou? Is everything okay?" The man asked her.

"Okay..." The voice that came from her mouth was gentle and male. "Let's deploy." She found herself nodding once without intending to. Maki realized swiftly that she had no control over her movements at all, and yet she wasn't just an observer. She could feel an aching weakness running through her body. That and carefully masked nerves made it almost impossible to stand.

"General Kiba, we're counting on you also." The man in front of her turned to a large bald man in a red cape. "Apple," He turned to a woman with worried eyes behind big round glasses and a fake smile meant to comfort, but failing to do so. "Call Chaco." He told her. She nodded, making her short tarnished golden hair move.

Things were a bit of a blur after that and Maki soon found herself standing in a battlefield.

"All units report preparations are complete." Said the woman from before to the man from before. Maki tried to remember why she knew the name Apple.

"Lord Riou," The man turned to her again. Hearing the name a second time made her snap to the realization of just who that was. Riou was the leader of the Allied Army and the man talking to her must have been Shu. She didn't remember any mention of a woman named Apple in the book at all, so why did she still know it? "Until General Kiba appears, please don't move unnecessarily." He informed Lord Riou and Maki assumed that it was him who had nodded once to let Shu know he'd been heard. The horse he was sitting on shifted restlessly as he did what he was told by the letter. Lord Riou hadn't been a strategist, that much was clear by how he wasn't mentioned nearly as much as Shu in the book, but she hadn't really realized his complete distaste for battle until she could see the enemies horses pursuing General Kiba's unit until it was closer to the mountains.

"Okay!" Announced Shu. "Give the signal! Lord Riou, your target is Luca Blight!" Riou nodded once last time and gave his horse a kick to send it rushing toward a man in white armor.

"So, this is the Orange Army." Said the man as his wild eyes locked onto her. Maki felt her heart stop from that look, but Riou continued his rush forward. Even when the man erupted in laughter he did not falter. "Is this all you've got?!" He yelled into the sky. You think you can take the head of the great Luca Blight with such a puny army?!"

"You can take the monster, Riou!" Said the young woman who'd been riding alongside him. She branched off after those words and Riou was now riding alone toward the great Luca Blight. Maki knew how this fight ended, and found herself trying to warn Shu of the coming reinforcements from Yuber and Sasarai, but couldn't. Those reinforcements came quickly, but they wouldn't hinder the goal. Riou would make it to Luca Blight.

"Hoo hoo ha HA HA! You can gather together a MILLION maggots, but they'll still just be MAGGOTS!" Luca roared . Riou's horse slowed on the approach. She could feel him losing his resolve as he drew close enough to the man to feel the raw power that emanated from him. In the distance Luc, a young magician, summoned the true rune of the wind to rip apart Sasarai's men, but Riou's focus wasn't on that. "Blood! Blood! How I thirst for blood!" Laughed Luca Blight. "I will kill every last one of you pigs!" He turned his sights on Riou and ran his horse towards him. Maki wanted to close her eyes, but couldn't. She watched as his sword unsheathed and pointed with the intent of slicing Riou's neck with nothing more than the speed of his horse. Riou jumped from his horse at the last second making the blade swish only air. Riou used his tonfa to club the legs of Luca's horse as he rolled past only just barely missing the hooves crushing his body. Luca's horse fell and Luca clunked to the ground with it. He picked himself up and ran his blade through the horses eye before storming up to Riou. Riou was ready for his angry powerful swing and dodged in time to land five hits on five separate pressure points causing, what Maki hoped, much pain to the man. "Unff." Luca doubled over for just a moment, but it was mostly out of surprise at actually being hit.

"Give up, Luca Blight!" Yelled Shu through the dying heat of battle as the rest of Riou's troops surrounded them. "You can't get away!" Luca let out a soft laugh that erupted into a louder one. "It doesn't matter how many people you've got against me!" He yelled to the thickening crowd. In a second and a flash of painful light Luca Blight vanished from the battle field. Riou sat down on the bloodied grass.

"Riou!" Yelled the young woman as she got off her horse to run up to him. The yelps of agitation and pain from everyone rushed his ears and it was very nearly deafening.

Safely in the distance Luca Blight reappeared.

"You fools thought you could take my head?" He scoffed. "Remember well, Riou! You weren't even able to WOUND Luca Blight!" He laughed and disappeared again.

"Unf..." Winched Shu. "So even with all our planning we weren't able to stop Luca Blight!" He yelled through his pain. "I didn't want to believe that brawn could defeat brains..." He said softly. "Lord Riou, the situation has become too dangerous. We've got to retreat."

Maki blinked as her old world returned to her in swirls of color. She stared at her paper until it came into focus her hand had been moving, there were marks all over the test, but her writing was gibberish.

"Turn your papers in." Said the teacher. Maki started to panic as Mat grabbed hers and took both of theirs to the desk. Her headache had gotten much worse. It was bad enough that when she stood to protest she had to sit back down to keep from falling over. The other students filed from the room and Mat helped Maki to her feet.

"The test..." Maki muttered.

"Don't worry. I switched papers while the teacher wasn't looking. You were taking my test." Mat told her. "It saved me the trouble of flunking it myself." He looked up at Maki as she continued to use his shoulder like a crutch. "What happened to you in there, anyway? I've never seen you freak out over a test before."

"I was Lord Riou!" Maki looked at him with wide eyes as she announced that.

"Uh...okay...we're going to see the Medical Teacher." He said turned them around.

"Really, I'm fine." Maki assured Teacher Darla as she peered down the metal object pointed at Maki's eye. "I probably just studied too hard or something." She muttered.

"Hmmm, I can't find anything wrong with you." Teacher Darla informed her. "Maybe it's something magical. You should see Teacher Nina."

"I'd really rather not." Maki rolled her eyes.

"Now now. Teacher Nina isn't THAT bad." Teacher Darla chuckled. "She's just very...determined after she's set her mind to doing something."

"Like turning me into a proper lady?" Maki huffed and pushed herself off the cot.

"I had meant her obsession with mastering all the runes, but yes, I suppose that too." Teacher Darla's magnified brown eyes danced happily at Maki. "Well, off you go. Either to class or to see Teacher Nina."

"Class. Definitely." Maki walked out with Mat in tow.

"So..." He spoke after they'd walked in silence for a bit. "What happened last night? You were going to tell me before Teacher Gray interrupted you."

"What? Oh, that." He hand went up to the rune and it occurred to her that her out of body experience had been caused by it. "This woman appeared in my room and gave me this rune. She said that something dangerous was coming and that in order to stop it I have to let it get touched by the power of all of the true runes."

"Really?" Mat asked, but it was obvious that he completely believed her.

"I think, during the test, I was in Lord Riou's body because he wielded the shield rune. That's a true rune, isn't it?"

"I guess. I don't know a lot about runes. I bet Teacher Nina would know though."

"Yeah, probably." Maki walked past the Runemaster classroom.

"You should probably have her at least look at it." Mat told her. Maki sighed and turned around.

"Oh fine." She grumbled and went in. Teacher Nina was there, as usual, unpacking all of the runes she had stuffed in the little bag she had tied around her waist, and putting them on stands so that her coming class could see them.

"Miss Daly!" She said with surprised glee. "Oh my." She rushed over to Maki and looked at the rune on her forehead with no respect for personal space. "When did you get this? It's simply gorgeous!"

"Teacher Nina, was the shield rune a true rune?" Maki asked, hoping to get out of as much conversation with the woman as possible.

"Did you sneak out last night to buy it? Oh, it's simply splendid!"

"Teacher Nina." Maki growled. Nina backed up and looked down at the girl.

"Yes, the shield rune was a true rune of a sort. It was actually half of a rune called the Rune of Beginning. The other half was the black sword rune that was wielded by Jowy Atreides-Blight. What's that rune called?"

"Uh...I think it's the Kismet Rune." Maki pressed her fingers against it again. It was so strange having a rune there that she couldn't stop fiddling with it every time it was brought up.

"The Kis...met..." Nina's eyes lit up and she practically pounced on the stack of old books by her desk. She ripped through them, tossing the useless ones behind her, until she found what she was looking for. "AH HA! Kismet! This rune can only be wielded by one born under the Tenkai Star and picks a wielder who has yet been determined a fate only when a great danger grows near. It has the power to grant its wielder their greatest desire, but only after it has been touched by the power of all the other true runes." Nina's eyes got very large as she looked up at Maki. "Oh, my. Where did you get that rune?"

"Leknaat-"

"The seer?! She gave it to you?! She was HERE?!" Nina jumped to her feet. "WHEN? WHERE?"

"L-last night. At the old cabin..." Maki looked a little frightened at the sudden burst of energy from the woman.

"WELL?" Nina franticly started to pack her runes back up.

"W-well what?"

"Why are you still STANDING here?! You have to find the other true runes!" Nina told her quite loudly.

"But I don't-" Maki began.

"Go to your dorm and pack your things! We have to get started right AWAY!"

"W-we?"

"Of course! I can't let a little girl run around the world looking for the true runes all by HERSELF!"

"But I-"

"GO! GOGOGO!" Nina pushed Maki through the door. "Pack! PACK!" She commanded. "PACK LIGHT!"

"I-I'm going too then." Mat was starting to get swept up into the moment as well.

"Yes! More for the adventure! Oh, I wonder if I'll find him again." Nina's eyes got dreamy. "PACK! EVERYONE PACK!"

"But what about my classes?" Maki asked.

"ForGET the classes! This is more IMPORTANT than stuffy old classes!"

"But I like my classes..." Maki said softly. "I don't...I don't even know for certain if this is even real..." Even with all of the evidence this was just too much to take in.

"Are you lying?" Nina asked with deadpan seriousness. Maki looked up at her in surprise at how much like an adult she seemed in that moment.

"No." She replied. Nina's smile returned with her boundless energy.

"Okay! Then it's destiny! Go pack! Our adventure starts in the morning!"

That night, Maki snuck off to the cabin again. She didn't pack much. Her books weighed quite a bit and the rest were just little things that she could sell if she needed to. Her father had a habit of sending her expensive trinkets since her grandmother had died two weeks after Maki had been sent to New Leaf Academy. Maki and her grandmother were very close and at first she'd hated being sent away, but that was three years ago and since then Maki was content resigning herself to her studies in order to make her grandmother's spirit proud. Maki sighed, lay back on the bed, and ran her index finger around the rune on her forehead. It was still warm to the touch which was an odd sensation since even embedded runes would cool down if they weren't being used. Maki didn't have much experience in using runes though. She'd had one embedded into her hand once or twice, but usually ended up having them removed when she could get them to work properly. She'd considered getting the training for it after she was enrolled in the Academy, but that would mean having to learn under Teacher Nina, and it just didn't seem worth it. Now she was finding herself wishing she knew a bit more about them.

Maki pulled her hand away and stared at the ceiling. The anticipation of adventure was keeping her up, and the worry of danger was making her body tense. Her fingers moved up to the rune again. The seer's words rolled through her head over and over until they became all she could hear. They echoed over one another, bounced around in her head, and drowned her thoughts. Maki jolted upright and shook her head to get them out. Doing so just made new words enter.

"You look troubled, child." The voice was more substantial than it had been in her head. Maki looked up at the woman in her sky blue robes.

"Of course I look troubled! You just told me the world was going to end if I didn't find the true runes!" Maki snapped.

"Ah, so it is worry that has brought you to me." She declared with a light smile on her lips. Maki was about to correct her when she realized that they were not in the cabin, but instead a large stone hall with a giant stained glass window adorning one wall. Leknaat appeared to be sitting at a table with a book opened in front of her.

"How..."

"The Kismet Rune and the Back Gate Rune are both very old."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Maki crossed her arms.

"If you would allow me to finish then you would know." Leknaat said with her infinite patience. "Runes are much like people as when they grow old they form certain habits that they do not wish to break from. The previous owner of the Kismet Rune would often visit me when they grew worried. However, she had the power to bring herself here. Something you do not possess. This causes me to believe that my Back Gate Rune, also accustomed to these visits, allowed you to visit under its power."

"So...I'm actually here?"

"For the moment, yes."

"Then...how do I get back?"

"When your question is answered you will likely be returned." Leknaat had not looked from her book the entire time she'd been speaking. It was something Maki had a habit of doing herself and it was really annoying her.

"Well what's my question?" Maki asked with just a hint of impudence.

"My future sight doesn't work to quite that specific of a degree." Leknaat replied just as even toned as before.

"I wasn't asking you to divine it, I just assumed you were going to tell me what I should ask. You've told me everything else that I'm pretty much going to have to change my entire life plan to do."

"You did not have a life plan."

"I might have. You don't know."

"Yes, actually, I do." Leknaat looked up at her. The hood wasn't covering her eyes now so Maki could see the mild amusement dancing in them.

"Okay, fine, so maybe I didn't. Still, I didn't think I'd be having to go out and save the world."

"Not many people do. It is why I usually have to tell them."

"W-well...is that my question? Can I go?"

"As I said before. I do not know your question until you ask it."

"Well I don't know my question either!"

"Think, child. What was on your mind before you were brought to me?"

"I was just thinking about what you said over and over again."

"And what sort of question would you surmise arose from those thoughts?"

"How am I supposed to find the blasted runes?!"

"Ah, and there we are. Some simple reasoning and we've found our solution. Now, shall we try to ascertain your answer?"

"Can't you just answer me?" Maki grumbled. This woman was actually more frustrating to talk to than Teacher Nina.

"Yes, I can. I had just felt that you could use some practice in deductive reasoning."

"HEY! I happen to have a genius IQ, lady!"

"Then it should come very easily to you."

"Gck." Maki twitched and slumped in defeat. "Okay! Okay."

"Very well then." Leknaat shut her book and gave Maki her full attention. "What have you experienced of the rune's powers so far?"

"Uh...I think I can watch the past of a true rune wielder through their eyes."

"Good. Now, how can you use that to find the true rune?"

"Um...maybe I could try and find someone that knew them. It'd be way easier than finding the wielder. They tend to just drop out of history."

"Very good." Leknaat looked almost proud. "The Kismet Rune allows you to follow the strands of fate of those you meet. Now, what help does that knowledge provide you?"

"But I never met Lord Riou."

"No, you have not."

"So then...have I met someone who has?" Maki's eyes widened. "Apple! Apple, that's Mat's mom! That's why I know that name!"

"Yes." Leknaat smiled.

"So, through my connection with Mat I followed the strand of fate to his mom who was with Riou during that battle. So then if I find Mat's mom I can find Lord Riou?"

"Perhaps."

"But what are the chances Mat's mom would even know where he is? I need to find someone who saw him more recently..." Maki pressed her lips together as she thought on this.

"I do believe your question has been very thoroughly answered, child." Leknaat declared. Maki looked up,

"Thank you, see-" but she was already back in her cabin. "That is going to get annoying really fast."


	2. Chapter 2

Suikoden Zenkaiwohabamu

すいこでん ぜんかいをはばむ

**Chapter 2**

Nina came that morning as promised. Maki was a bit slow to rise since she'd spent most of the night reading through all the names in the Dunan Unification chapter of her book and tried to match them to any of the ones from her vision. Most of them would be either impossible to track, or would never willingly talk to her unless she was a general or diplomat.

"Get up sleepy bones!" Nina said with a bright smile. "Today we start looking for the Rune of Beginning!"

"Nnf." Maki held the pillow over her head to drown out the noise. Nina yanked both pillow and blanket off the girl as if she were revealing some grand prize.

"Up!" She exclaimed. Maki grunted and wearily got to her feet. She slipped her small silver glasses onto her nose and looked at a half asleep Mat who was standing behind Nina wearing a pack that looked larger than he was. Maki somehow doubted all of that stuff was even his.

"Hey, are those my books?" Maki asked as she noticed them strapped to the pack as well.

"Of course they are. Didn't you want to bring them?" Nina asked.

"Well, yeah, but I can carry them myself." Maki blinked.

"Nonsense! Ladies shouldn't have to carry anything so long as they have a gentleman with them!" Nina grabbed Maki's wrist and pulled her. "Now come on! We're wasting daylight!"

Maki was mercilessly yanked along until they were off school grounds and officially in Greenhill, the city the academy resided in. Greenhill was often always buzzing with life and the hum of people rushed through Maki's head as she was dragged through its streets. Mat was struggling to keep up behind them, and the momentum he had to maintain almost made him barrel into Nina when she stopped very suddenly in front of the mayor's home. Lady Namora had been the mayor of Greenhill since President Teresa left shortly after the end of the Dunan Unification war. She ran the city with open arms to any and all who wished to live in its walls when the survivors of the war came searching for new homes. Because of this Greenhill was very diverse and while this caused some squabbles now and again the city remained quite peaceful under her rule. However, in the years Maki had been there, Lady Namora had been gradually growing ill, and it was rumored she would soon meet her end. This was starting to cause quite a large stir in the community because the lady had no heirs and should she die then the next mayor would be chosen by the Plenipotentiary of Two River city. There was also rumor that Lady Namora had been working very hard to pass a law that would allow the citizens of Greenhill to choose their own mayor and, even though this had not yet succeeded, there were already people standing at street corners announcing their right to hold this position. Of course, with so many vying, there was no real chance of any of them succeeding.

While Maki had been trapped in thought, Nina had been knocking at the gate nonstop. Finally someone came outside.

"I'm sorry, but Lady Namora is not accepting visitors right now." Declared a black haired boy who looked too young to be a butler, yet he was still dressed like one.

"Just tell her it's Nina!" She replied with a smug smile.

"The lady was very adamant about-"

"This is important! The fate of the WORLD depends on us getting to see her!" Nina argued. The boy butler remained calm.

"Forgive me, ma'am, but I hear that at least three times a day."

"But this time it's TRUE!" Nina grabbed Maki and gestured emphatically to the rune on the girl's forehead. "You see this?! This is a TRUE RUNE! This girl has been marked by DESTINY! You HAVE to let us in to see Lady Namora!"

"Ma'am, don't make me call the guards."

"You let us in RIGHT NOW or else I'll unleash my AWESOME magic on you!" Nina pointed the rune in the palm of her hand at the butler. The butler went back inside. "Ha! I knew that would do the trick!"

"You...you weren't really going to hurt him, were you?" Mat asked as he sat on the cobblestone walk. Or rather his pack momentarily pinned him to it.

"Of course not." Nina huffed.

"I don't think he's coming back out." Maki noted.

"Of COURSE he is! Lady Namora is probably just getting onto him for not letting us in the SECOND I said my name!" Nina crossed her arms just so.

"Teacher Nina, are you sure you even _know_ Lady Namora?" Maki asked as respectfully as possible. There was no point in getting Nina anymore worked up than that question likely would.

"Of COURSE I know her! What kind of question is that?! Do you think I'm a liar?!"

"No, ma'am. I just think that maybe you think you and the mayor have some sort of connection that may just be...unsubstantiated..."

"UNSUBSTANTIATED?" Nina repeated in her outrage.

"Um, Teacher Nina...why do we even need to see Lady Namora?" Mat asked. He was still sitting on the ground, but it was unclear as to whether he was there by choice or if the pack wasn't letting him up and he didn't want to complain.

"Because! We need a letter of introduction in order to see the President!" Nina fumed.

"The President?!" Mat squeaked. Maki was less impressed.

"Of COURSE! The President needs to know that the fate of the world is in peril! She even knew Lord Riou PERSONALLY! I mean, I knew him too, but she actually _talked_ to him once or twice. She's bound to know SOMETHING!" Nina said with exuberant pride in her brilliant plan that had only this one hitch thus far. The boy butler walked out with a defeated and annoyed look on his face.

"The lady will see you now." He said and had the gate opened.

"SUCCESS!" Nina thrust her arm triumphantly into the air.

"We're not even in the building yet." Maki muttered and followed the woman in. Mat stayed outside the gate for a moment as he tried to get up.

When he managed to go inside Nina and Maki were already in the living room. He noted briefly that the entire house smelled of peppermint as he caught up with them.

"And so, you see, we need to find Lord Riou in order to find the first True Rune!" Nina explained to a tall, gentle woman with graying blond hair tied in a soft bun. Lady Namora had hard as black as raven feathers and was currently sitting on the couch in the soft white robe of someone who'd been bedridden for some time, but still wanted to look presentable. That must mean that the woman Nina was speaking to...

"You're President Teresa!" Mat's jaw moved up and down at the sight of the woman. President Teresa turned to Mat with a gentle smile on her lips.

"Hello, young man." She greeted with a slight bow before returning her attention to Nina.

"If what you say is true then we can't waste much time. I heard miss Nanami mention the town Kyaro on more than one occasion. Perhaps you should start your search there?" President Teresa suggested.

"Yes! Of course!" Nina hit her palm with her fist.

"President Teresa." Maki spoke up for the first time since their introduction. "You were there during the first battle with Luca Blight, weren't you?"

"I was present for the briefing, and I did fight as best I could during the battle." Teresa nodded.

"How did...how did Lord Riou look after that fight? Luca Blight was so..." Maki trailed off.

"You sound as if you were there." Teresa said with mild amusement.

"My rune lets me experience bits of the past of a true rune bearer." Maki told her.

"Then I'm so very sorry you had to see that moment in his life. Lord Riou was different after that battle, yes. For start he allowed us to call him Lord Riou. He was never adamant about it, but until that fight, whenever he was called that he always looked uncomfortable. Of course, it wasn't until the death of his sister that he truly became Lord Riou."

"At the events in Rockaxe." Maki nodded. "I think there was a sentence on that in our text books."

"I always did have a distaste for history books." President Teresa replied. "I can provide you with the travel visa to Higheast. After that I'm afraid I can't be much help to you. I'll send a message to Mayor Fitcher, but I can't guarantee his help with your search. The man is wildly unpredictable."

"Thank you!" Nina grabbed the woman in a tight hug. "I KNEW you'd be able to help us!"

"You're very welcome." President Teresa said softly and gently patted the woman's back. "It's the least I could do. I do owe you my life."

"W-what?" Maki blinked. "So...wait...you actually DID know the president?"

"I TOLD you I did!" Nina huffed.

"Hey, could you do me a favor?" Maki asked in a familiar tone. There was just something about this woman that made her feel less formal. "When you and the Plenipotentiary have dinner or something and his daughter Anita is there, can you just mention my name?" Teresa chuckled and used her hand to politely cover it.

"Sure. Maki Daly, right?"

"Yeah." Maki smiled.

"I'll make a note of it." President Teresa turned to Lady Namora. "I will do my best to see that your proposition passes." She bowed. "I trust the judgment of the Plenipotentiary, after all, he chose you to be mayor in my stead, but that choice should be in the hands of the fine people of Greenhill."

"Thank you, President Teresa." Lady Namora stood up so she could bow. Her butler rushed to her side when her weak legs forced her to sit down. It was in that moment when Maki saw the worry in both of their faces that she realized just how similar in appearance they were. This made her curious, and her succeeded familiarity with President Teresa left her feeling bold.

"Excuse me, but are you and your butler related in some way?" She asked. The butler looked quite angry about the question, but Lady Namora kept her gentle calm.

"He is my sister's son." She told Maki without reservation.

"My lady!" The butler burst in surprise. This apparently was meant to be some great secret.

"His father was killed by bandits and his mother passed on shortly after their escape to this city. I've taken it upon myself to raise him." Just speaking at such length left Lady Namora looking pale.

"Then...wouldn't it be possible for him to take your place as mayor?" Maki asked.

"Yes." President Teresa answered when it was clear Lady Namora was too tired to. "But, he's too young for that sort of responsibility. Besides, if this proposition has any chance of being passed soon then there can't be an heir."

"Well your secret is good with us!" Nina smiled and gave them a thumb up.

"Yes, you earned your trust with me long ago." Lady Namora smiled.

"You know her too?!" Maki yelped.

"I TOLD you I did!" Nina rolled her eyes.

"William." Lady Namora looked to the boy who was bringing her water.

"Yes, my lady?" He handed her the glass.

"I want you to go with them." She took it gently.

"W-what?!" His eyes flew open with surprise.

"My end is very near now, and there will be people looking for an heir. If your origins are discovered...it would be best if you were away until the proposition is passed."

"B-but, my lady..."

"William, please."

"Y-yes, ma'am." He nodded and looked at the ground.

"We'll take good care of him." Nina said with complete seriousness.

"Thank you." Lady Namora smiled appreciatively.

"Well, go pack your things Willy!" Nina put and arm on his shoulder. "Adventure waits for no one!" She said with a finger pointed at the ceiling.

"William." William corrected her.

"What are you twelve? William is way too old a name for you."

"I'm fifteen!" William seemed to have the first natural reaction to this woman as everyone else to meet her. Frustration.

"Really? Wow. Good for you!" Nina rubbed the top of his head. "Now go pack!" She smiled down at him. The glare he gave her was frightening. Luckily being a teacher for nearly fifteen years made Nina immune to the ferocity of children. William walked off without a word.

"He's really quite warm." Lady Namora declared.

"He's just upset about having to leave you so close to...the end." Nina said with a smile. The fact she could see that surprised Maki greatly. "He'll warm up when the grief washes past. It shouldn't be too hard, he's had time to come to terms with it."

"I hate to send him away this way, but when opportunity comes..." Lady Namora trailed.

"I get it! Don't worry. He's going to get to grow up a lot." Nina smiled. "Adventure is the best education you can ever give." She said warmly. Maki's surprise from before refreshed.

"Thank you. You've eased my mind." Lady Namora smiled softly just before closing her eyes.

"I'm going to take my leave." President Teresa bowed to Lady Namora.

"Thank you for seeing me." Lady Namora replied and President Teresa saw herself out.

"I have a medicine rune in my bag, if you're like me to ease your pain." Nina offered.

"No, it's fine." Lady Namora opened her eyes. "Thank you."

"Are you sure?" Nina asked with gentle eyes that seemed foreign to Maki.

"Yes. If you would, please wait for William outside." She requested.

"Of course." Nina bowed and ushered Maki out. Mat reluctantly got off the chair he'd been sitting on and hefted the pack back onto his shoulders.

Nina stretched as they waited at the gate.

"This is going great, don't you think?" She said with a bright smile on her face.

"You're not the kind of person I thought you were." Maki noted aloud without entirely meaning to. Nina's response was energetic.

"I never thought you'd end up getting a True Rune either! I mean, you're not the type at all! Usually they're gentle, with a strong moral backbone, young features, and trained with martial arts!"

"Oh...h-hey! I have some of those things!" Maki snapped.

"Oh yeah? Which ones?"

"I...I'm young looking."

"Young? Please. You look like you're old enough to drink!" Nina laughed. Maki instinctively put her arms in front of her chest.

"So I developed kind of early! It happens!" Maki yelled defensively.

"Maki, it's okay to have a large chest. You're an adult now." Nina pulled Maki's arms down.

"I'm sixteen!"

"Like I _said_!" Nina rolled her eyes. "You know, if you would just fix yourself up you could have boys eating out of your hands. It would make this adventure a LOT easier."

"I don't WANT boys eating out of my hands! I don't even want this adventure! I want to go back to school and study!" Maki yelled at the sky.

"Nonsense! Who doesn't want to go on an adventure?!" Nina argued.

"Any SANE person!" Maki retorted.

"Please tell me you won't be like this for the entire trip. It's quite a long way to Kyaro." William said as he opened the gate. He looked quite different without his butler uniform. His short black hair was spiking up from the slicked back look he'd had, and while he was still wearing the gray and white colors customary to a butler, he wasn't wearing the tie and coat anymore leaving just the white shirt gray vest and pants. Slung over his shoulder was a bag which Maki assumed contained his clothes. She wondered if they were all butler uniforms.

"Good! You're ready! Let's go!" Nina clapped and marched forward. William sighed and walked after her with Maki in tow and Mat straggling in the back.

They walked to the end of the street before Nina turned around and smiled at them.

"Okay, Maki's first." She said.

"First? First for what?" Maki asked.

"To teleport!" Nina took a rune from her bag and jammed it into her right hand. "You didn't think we were gonna walk to muse, did you?"

"Well why don't we just teleport to Kyaro?" Maki wondered.

"I've never been there." Nina replied. "Now come here." She didn't wait for Maki to walk to her. She grabbed the girl with her hand and in an instant Maki was standing in a crowded street corner in front of a stand of fruit. She also felt pretty dizzy. "Okay!" Nina was gone in a flash. A second later she and Mat appeared and immediately after she was gone.

"Well?" William asked when Nina appeared in front of him and started to walk.

"Well what?" Nina replied.

"Aren't you going to teleport me?"

"I can only do it three times a day. I wasn't planning on having an extra body. We'll just get to wait until morning." Nina told her. William didn't answer her, but he did twitch.

Meanwhile Maki and Mat waited at the corner for about five minutes.

"Do you think she messed up?" Mat asked.

"Maybe, I don't know. Ugh, let's just go get something to eat." Maki replied and traveled down the street until she found the inn.


	3. Chapter 3

Suikoden Zenkaiwohabamu

すいこでん ぜんかいをはばむ

**Chapter 3**

Being the middle of the day the inn was still quite sparse save for a few people who decided to have lunch there and even fewer who were at the bar drinking.

"I hope Teacher Nina is okay." Mat said as he took the opportunity to set the pack down by an empty table.

"Yeah, I guess." Maki walked to the innkeeper's counter. "I'd like to get a room, please, and then some lunch for myself and my friend."

"Certainly." The innkeeper smiled. "That will be 5000 potch."

"Five thousand potch?!" Maki yelped. "That's insane! It only costs twenty potch in Greenhill!"

"I don't think you realize where you are, ma'am. This is the Auberge De Luxe, not some slum pub. If you want dirty rooms full of rats and garbage then I suggest you walk through those doors and continue your pace south." The innkeeper replied tartly. Maki's face turned red.

"Now listen here you impertinent nostrum merchant." Her anger seethed through her teeth. "I will NOT pay 5000 potch for a mattress and four walls to contain it."

"Ma'am, I will have you know that each of our rooms is decorated with fineries from Toran to Zexen." The man was struggling to keep his cool.

"I don't care if the bed posts are carved from the charred remains of the Lukiae Ende Towayo! 5000 potch is a LUDICROUS sum no matter how excessively ornamented it all may be!"

"Ma'am, if you don't have the potch needed to stay here then I suggest you find somewhere else."

"The potch is not the ISSUE here, _sir_! You have wounded my PRIDE by inferring that I would rather sleep in FILTH than pay your contemptible price! On TOP of which you insulted my home town which is, to be quite frank, extremely poor patron relations! YOU, sir, are nothing more than a charlatan who swindles people out of hard earned potch with ephemeral grandeur!"

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave my establishment at once."

"Oh, not to worry. I had no intention of staying here." Maki hissed and walked out. Mat clamored to get the pack hefted onto his shoulders so he could follow. A large, muscle bound, older man at the bar smiled and paid for the bottle of liquor he'd been waiting for after watching them leave.

"Wow, you really went off on that guy, Maki." Mat noted once they were a save distance from the inn.

"I have no patience for swindlers." Maki huffed and folded her arms. "Nothing short of the Duke of Gaien sailing over here to wash my feet in Amrita would make me pay 5000 potch for a bed."

"It does have the best rum though. Shipped straight from the Village of the Dwarves." The large man from the bar said this in a manner so open most passersby would just assume the three were good friends. Maki looked up at him. He very much resembled an old bear from his size to the tufts of dark brown hair that were littered with gray strands that grew thicker close to the temples. His tough tan skin was covered in scars that were like a collection of trophies for each battle he'd won. Why a man like this would just start talking to a couple of students was beyond Maki. "This your first time in Muse?" He asked.

"I almost did a few years ago, but my escort got me detained at the border so I thought it would be best to stay at a roadside inn east of here." Maki told him, though she had no idea why she didn't just answer 'yes.'

"So you're foreign, huh?" He stated. The three of them were walking down the crowded streets at his lead, even though he was walking behind them. "Where you from?"

"Kanakan. It's southeast of the Toran Republic."

"Oh yeah? Do you know Roundier Haia?"

"Oh yes, in fact, I know everyone in Kanakan. We have fancy island parties and just drink wine all day." Maki replied.

"Ha ha!" He laughed. "He was pretty famous, so I just thought you might." The man stopped and they were standing in front of another inn. "Here we go. This place is clean and the price is reasonable. Fifty potch still, but charge any less and they'd have to use rats in their stew." He told them and went in. Maki turned and watched Mat huff his way up to them.

"Hey, Viktor!" The innkeeper greeted the man jovially as Maki and Mat were walking in. "You're just in time, he's really gotten started." He pointed towards the bar where another older man dressed in blue with even a matching headband and cape sat. His hair had a bit more white than blond and his eyes were a striking blue which were probably just made more so from his monochromatic choice in clothing.

"Viktor!" He threw his hands into the air in greeting, but that caused him to lose balance on his stool so he had to take a second to right himself.

"Come on, you're going to love this guy. He's a real blast when he's been drinking." Viktor looked at Maki and nodded toward the man in blue. Maki started to follow, but was stopped by the innkeeper.

"I'm sorry, miss, but your little brother can't go into the bar." He told her.

"He's not my brother." Maki replied.

"Ah, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid your son still can't go into the bar." He declared.

"My son?" Maki's eyebrow twitched. "Just how old do you think I am?"

"I-I'm sorry. Your cousin?"

"Yes, fine." Maki sighed. "We should probably just get a room and wait for Teacher Nina anyway. Maybe she'll be able to find us here if we just stay put."

"Right." Mat nodded.

"A room, please. We'll be getting lunch too." She told the man.

"Okay, 50 potch, please."

"Just put that on my tab!" Viktor yelled from the bar.

"Ah, sure thing!" The innkeeper yelled back.

"Wow, that's awfully nice of him." Mat noted.

"He looks kind of familiar, but I can't figure out where I've seen him before." Maki took the key and the two walked up the steps to the rooms.

"Well if he'd ever been to the school I would have remembered him." Mat dropped the pack as soon as they were through the doors. He stretched his back out when he was free.

"Yeah." Maki nodded. Mat started to go through the side of the large pack. "I think I've seen that friend of his too." She took a moment to try and remember where it had been, but it just wouldn't come to her. "Mat, I'm going to go back downstairs and talk to them."

"I'll come too." Mat said as he pulled out a toothbrush and a sponge. He looked at the items in his hand and decided to put them back.

"If you're tired you can stay up here, you know." Maki chuckled.

"I'm not going to let you go talk to a couple of drunken men by yourself." Mat said firmly.

"I'll be fine." Maki assured him. "Besides, I'm not defenseless. I still have Winchester."

"Your escort? Where is he?"

"Um...actually...see...my father's idea of an escort is a bit different than normal..." Maki couldn't quite make eye contact with Mat. This made him concerned.

"What do you mean?" He asked with just a hint of reprimand. Maki walked over to her books that were in a wooden box tied to the pack. She slipped the box loose and removed a leather bound book that had a buttoned strap keeping it closed. It had a bit of leather sewn to the binding where a pen was inserted so it was generally just assumed to be a diary of some sort. When Maki unbuttoned it she opened it carefully and slowly took out a revolver with two barrels (one long and thin on the top and a shorter wider one coming out of the middle of the chamber).

"This is Winchester." Maki told her.

"Winchester is a GUN?!" Mat exclaimed and looked like he might start hyperventilating by just seeing the thing.

"Well, technically he's a Grapeshot Revolver. See, he has a secondary sixteen gauge smoothbore barrel that you can load buckshot into."

"You know how they WORK?"

"Like I said...my father was strange."

"Have you used it?" Mat swallowed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Just on monsters while I traveled. It's really not that big of a deal, Mat."

"Then why didn't you tell me about it?"

"By the time I knew you well enough to talk about myself I was already keenly aware of your hatred for violence. It just didn't seem appropriate."

"You're not going to start carrying that thing around, are you?"

"Well, yes. There are some pretty nasty things in the world, Mat. I'm not strong enough to fight them and I'm not fast enough to run from them. This is how I can protect myself."

"I can protect you." Mat said resolutely.

"Thanks, but I think I'll just stick with Winchester." Maki laughed and strapped the gun to herself so that her long blue school sweater covered it up. Mat didn't say anything else so she walked out of the room. She didn't even know he was following her until the innkeeper stopped her again.

"Miss, I already told you about your cousin." He said.

"Ah, let the boy over! He won't drink anything!" Viktor yelled out. The innkeeper bit his tongue and Mat was allowed to follow Maki in. She walked directly over to Viktor and his blue in both clothing and demeanor friend.

"An her hair." He said with his body half leaning and half slumped against the bar counter. "Her hair was so soft."

"Man, you missed the fun part." Viktor told Maki. "He was dancing on the bar and got his headband caught on Old Moosey." Make looked over at the moose head on the wall that had a blue headband adorning its left antler. "Now he's just all in the depressed phase."

"I was stupid. I was young an' stupid. I shoulda jus' married 'er while I 'ad a chance, but noooo, I though' I though' I 'ad all the time in the worl'." He slurred and slipped gradually off the stool. Viktor grabbed him and pulled him back up before he hit the floor.

"Everybody thinks that, buddy." Viktor assured him.

"Lost love?" Maki surmised.

"Yeah, it's the anniversary of her death. We always just take the day and get smashed. You know, to get the ol' feelings aired out." Viktor replied.

"She was so strong an' beautiful an' she could handle a sword better than me. You know how rare that is? Huh? How rare?" The man in blue looked his friend in the face to the best of his ability.

"Yeah, buddy. Really rare." Viktor smiled and poured them both another glass of rum. The bottle was very nearly finished already. The man in blue turned around and leaned back so quickly to drink it he fell leaving his friend to catch him again.

"Thanks, buddy." He pat Viktor on the arm and steadied himself on his seat.

"No problem." Viktor replied.

"Oh Odessa." His head flopped onto his arms. "Why'd you have to go down there? Why?"

"Hey, she saved that kid's life, you know?" Viktor pat his friend on the back.

"She sounds like a really great woman." Maki declared.

"She really was. She was the first leader of the Liberation Army though, and a job like that doesn't let you live too long. You know?" Viktor told her.

"Liberation Army? You mean Odessa Silverberg?" Maki was mildly surprised.

"Yeah, you know about her?" Viktor sounded rather happy at the thought.

"I read her name in a book at school." Maki's mind immediately skipped to the paragraph that had been dedicated to her. She could see it scrolling in front of her eyes, but as she got to the last sentences her world started to shift. A moment later she was standing on the wet stone cobbles of an underground river and a woman was screaming.

"What as what?" Asked a young woman in purple.

"Let's hurry!" Said a young man with an X shaped scar on his cheek. Maki ran with them around a corner where they were attacked by men in armor. They were dealt with quickly by the fire rune in the woman's right hand. Behind the fallen soldiers lay a red haired woman with something hidden under her cape. A young Viktor rushed to her first.

"Are you all right, Odessa?" He asked with doomed concern. The woman struggled to sit up.

"C-come. You can come out now." She said as a small boy no more than five emerged from under her red cloak. "Quickly...you must run." She told him and that he did. Once the boy was out of her sight Odessa clutched her gut and wrenched forward. The man with the scar jumped at the sight.

"Lady Odessa! You're bleeding!" He exclaimed as hot blood started to gush over her hand.

"Odessa!" Viktor took a single calming breath. "What have you done? Without you, the Liberation Army..." He swallowed. She looked up at him with kind but dimming eyes.

"I'm...so sorry, Viktor." She tried her best to conjure a smile for him. "It appears...I've chosen to be a woman...rather than commander of...the Liberation Army." She gripped the draining would in her side and looked at the stone beneath her as if willing herself to not fall to it just yet. "I couldn't let that child die. I'm a failure...as a leader..."

"Don't talk Odessa." Warned the woman in purple. "You'll reopen your wound!" Odessa smiled at the woman's kindness and turned her gaze to Maki.

"Tir, will you...come here?" She asked softly. Maki's footsteps were outside of her control, but she would have walked to her regardless. "I have...two requests." She said as her voice started to rasp from the effort. "First, give this earring...to a fellow named Mathiu...in the village of Seika..."

"Stop it, Odessa." Viktor warned. "I don't want to hear any final requests!"

"Viktor..." She looked over at him, but seemed to be looking through him now. "Thank you, but...I know the end is near." Her eyes glanced to Maki again. "Tir, take it." She said and weakly pulled the earring from her ear and placed it in Maki's hand. "M-my other request...Please throw my body...into the stream there..."

"What?" The man with the scar was horrified at the thought. "But why? I can't do such a horrible thing."

"Please...Tir." She begged gently. Her hand loosely gripped the bottom of Maki's pants.

"As you wish." Maki replied. She instantly understood why this woman could not be found dead.

"Thank you...Tir..." Odessa smiled faintly. "If you...ever see Flik again, tell him that his kindness always saw me through hard times..." When those words were uttered her eyes grew dark. "Well...it appears at the end is near...Tir, I hope that you will be able to see the Free World that I was...never able to..." Her hands slipped against the stone and she fell softly to it. Everything was silent for some time.

"Goodbye...Odessa..." Viktor closed his eyes.

"What was that?" He asked again, only now his voice was a bit gruffer than it had been a moment ago. Maki realized that it was because of age. Her world snapped back to the way it was leaving her head reeling from the aftershock.

"What?" Maki put her palm to her squeezed eyes.

"You got all distant and said 'As you wish.' just like...why would you say that?" He asked again.

"If the Liberation Army knew she was dead then they'd lose hope." Maki replied as things slowly sifted away from the feeling of a dream.

"What?" The blue man's head lifted from his arms and he looked at Maki for the first time that night. Viktor stared at her as either his natural mental state or his drunkenness clumsily cobbled poorly fitting pieces together.

"Maki." Mat said softly. "I think you did that thing again."

"What?" Maki looked at his concerned face. "That?" Her fingers moved to the rune and it was hot to the touch.

"Does that thing let you get into people's heads or something?" Viktor asked her. Maki stared at him, debating on if she should tell him the truth or not, with a deep breath she decided to try.

"I was-" She started, but Mat stopped her by touching her arm.

"I don't think you should tell him here." He said. Maki's thoughts finally cleared and she realized that telling people in public about a true rune was a bad idea.

"I need to put Flik to bed." Viktor stood up and slung his friend over his shoulder. "So why don't you tell me in there?" He offered. Maki thought on this and nodded.

She followed him up and once Flik lost consciousness completely he offered Maki and Mat a chair. The three sat and Maki started her story.

"It was a day ago that I was visited by a seer. She gave me this rune and told me that it had to be touched by the power of all the true runes in order to prevent the end of the world. To help me find then, the rune can follow along the strands of fate to anyone who had a true rune and I can see a moment of their life through their eyes."

"So then when we were talking about Odessa's death you went to see it through Tir." Viktor nodded. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"It's okay I think...it's supposed to help me understand the rune better somehow. I did it yesterday too. I got to fight Luca Blight as Lord Riou during that first battle."

"Oh yeah, I was there for that one." Viktor nodded.

"That...that's right! You WERE there! That's where I've seen you two before!" Maki exclaimed.

"So now you've got to find those two guys?" Viktor asked.

"I think so. If they're even still around."

"Well, you can probably find Tir in Gregminster. He usually always ends up going back to his old house at some point. I bet Cleo and Pahn are still there too. They can probably help you out."

"Wow, that's really beneficial. Thank you." Maki was surprised at this man's willingness to just believe her and want to help her, but then, if what he claimed was true, helping people with true runes wasn't anything new.

"Flik and I are actually on our way down there. You can travel with us." Viktor offered.

"That's Flik?" Maki remembered Odessa's words and looked over at the snoring man.

"Yeah." Viktor replied. "You kids should go sleep some. We'll head out sometime in the afternoon. You know, when the hangover is done."

"We have two more people with us, but we think a bad teleport spell stuck them somewhere else. Do you mind if we wait for them?" Maki asked, but wasn't sure why since this was the perfect chance to ditch the annoying woman.

"Sure. It'll give us more time to hang around in Muse." Viktor smiled.

"Thanks." Maki got up. "I really appreciate your help."

"Hey, it sounds like what you're doing is pretty important." He replied and they went to the door. Maki smiled at him and she and Mat walked out.

"Wow, you never talk that much to a stranger." Mat said as they went to their room.

"Yeah, it's kind of weird. I've never met him, but I know I can trust him with my life." Maki replied and her fingers went to the rune again. The look Mat gave her was a strange one that she couldn't interpret, but she was much too hungry to question. "Let's get something to eat." She put her hand to her rumbling stomach. Mat nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

Suikoden Zenkaiwohabamu

すいこでん ぜんかいをはばむ

**Chapter 4**

The morning broke and had all the indications of a beautiful day. However, the birdsong and sunlight others were enjoying were currently acting as the bane of Flik's existence as he attempted to bury himself further in bed to suffer his hangover in relative peace. As he alternated between kicking himself for drinking that much, and trying not to think through the pain, he missed the door opening until Viktor's painfully cheery (and obviously false) tone added to his misery.

"'Morning Flik, how's the head?"

Flik pulled his head out from under his pillow long enough to blearily glare at his friend before returning to his failed attempts to hide from the sun.

"Come on, buddy." Viktor smiled and poked Flik with the hilt of his sword. "You won't start feeling better until you eat."

"Why? Why do I let you talk me into this every year?" Flik grumbled and begrudgingly got up.

"Aw, come on. You have fun." Viktor smiled.

"You have fun. I ultimately end up making a fool of myself." Flik muttered. "Ugh, I slept in my clothes." He said as he tried to pull the wrinkles out. He ran his fingers through his hair after in an attempt to look somewhat presentable, but noticed something missing. "Where's my band?"

"The moose probably still has it." Viktor told him while using the water basin in the corner to clean off his hands for whatever reason.

"The moose?" Flik blinked at him. "Viktor." He said with a warning tone.

Viktor dried his hands off before defending himself. "Hey, for the record, I had nothing to do with that part of the evening."

"I'll bet you didn't." Flik rolled his bloodshot eyes.

"Hurry up and come down. The kids are getting breakfast and then we're going to a museum or something. You like museum's right?"

"The kids?" Flik looked confused again.

"The ones we met last night. You know, pretty red head, mute boy, looking for the true runes."

"I...don't really recall that part of the evening."

"Well, I told them they could go with us to Gregminster."

"Are you serious?! We're not going anywhere NEAR Gregminster!"

"Yeah, I know, but I figure, what they're doing has got to be pretty important, so we can make a detour. It's not like we had any good reason to head to Budehuc, right?"

"Budehuc Castle is the last place guys like us can get work! We have no POTCH, Viktor!"

"We'll end up there eventually. They're looking for the true runes. They have like three of them over there, don't they?"

"...You're missing the whole issue, Viktor."

"No, I'm not. Look, if they're looking for the true runes, chances are something big is going on. Given that, work should be the least of our concerns at the moment."

"Lack of funds while traveling is a VERY big concern and I don't know about you, but I don't feel like camping the entire way to Gregminster."

"Relax! I'm sure these kids will cover our expenses. I'm pretty sure the red head comes from money."

"So you just want to mooch? That's low."

"You got any better ideas?"

"Yeah, how about we go to Budehuc Castle like we'd planned?"

"Come on, Flik. At least come and listen to these kids. They're on the level. I can feel it in my gut. If you don't think that this is going to be something huge then we'll go. Okay?"

Flik sighed. "Alright, it won't hurt to listen I guess."

"Great!" Viktor smiled in triumph.

Downstairs Maki was arguing softly with Mat.

"I can't believe you brought that thing down here again." He hissed at her.

"Mat, this is Muse. People walk around here with swords strapped to their belt." Maki rolled her eyes. "And stop calling him that thing. You'll hurt his feelings."

"It's a gun, it doesn't have feelings."

"How do you know that?"

"It just doesn't, okay?"

"And what do you know about guns, huh? Mr. I'll-let-a-man-beat-my-face-in-if-it'll-make-the-fight-stop-faster."

"It works doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but you get your face rearranged." Maki grunted.

Mat shrugged. "It goes numb after the first or second punch anyways."

"You shouldn't even know that." Maki retorted as the men from before made their way down. "Oi! Your food's getting cold, old man!" She yelled at Viktor.

Viktor chuckled a little and walked over, "You didn't need to yell, you know."

"How else is it gonna get through the hair in your ears?" Maki snorted. Mat looked horrified by what she'd just said to the very large bear of a man, but Viktor laughed it off. Flik just took a seat, still looking very ragged around the edges. Mat shifted uncomfortably when the man sat next to him. He gave some intense focus to his food at Flik started to ask Maki some questions.

"So, you're looking for the true runes, huh? Pretty big feat."

"Tell me about it." Maki rolled her eyes. "I don't think I can even name all of them. Much less find them."

"So then why the hunt? It's not as though you sound all that interested in it."

"Well, the seer said if I didn't the world would end. So what I want doesn't really matter."

Flik blinked, "...I think you're going to have to clarify. What's this about a seer and the world ending?"

"That's just what she said." Maki sighed. "Hold on. I'll be able to tell you word for word in a second." Maki focused on the moment and slipped into the seer's point of view like she'd suspected. For those watching this it was an odd sight. Her eyes gained a sort of white film that made her blue's look milky. Her expression would blank and then shift, in this case, to one filled with a calming sense of danger. Her lips parted slowly and her voice changed to a deep even tone. "There is a great danger looming over the horizon." She said. "A danger that can only be met with the power of the twenty seven True Runes if mankind is to survive." Her hands extended as if presenting an item. "You, born under the Tenkai star, have been branded with a different kind of fate because of this rune. The Kismet Rune can only be wielded by one born under the Chief Star of Heaven that has yet to be touched by the hands of fate, and can only be used when it has been touched once by the power of all other True Runes." After Maki watched the rune slam into her own head her eyes cleared and her brain throbbed. "Ngh." She pressed her palm to her temple.

Viktor was the first to comment. "That's not something you see every day."

"No, it isn't." Flik agreed. Mat had been watching the scene intently, and got up to fetch Maki a refill of her water. An action that went unmentioned, but not unnoticed, by Flik. "Well, either you're a very good actress, or you're telling the truth." He added.

"I wish I was lying. Then I could just go back to the academy." Maki sighed and took the water Mat handed her. She gave him a thankful smile and nursed it.

Flik watched her silently for a while until Viktor nudged him in the side and asked. "So, thoughts on this?"

"Why are you heading to Gregminster?" Flik asked Maki.

"It was his idea." She looked to Viktor. "We were going to go to Kyaro, but he said that we might have better luck at the capital of Toran."

Flik looked at Viktor. "Did he now?"

"That McDohl kid lives there, and he always goes home once in a while. I figure, if we're supposed to find the true runes, then we'll have some really great luck and we'll catch him at his place." Viktor declared.

"Viktor, it scares me when you make sense." Flik declared.

"I know. I don't really get to do it a lot." Viktor smiled.

"There's just one flaw in that plan, though." Flik told him.

"Yeah?" Viktor replied.

"Yeah. Tir's rune ATE PEOPLE'S SOULS!" Flik flushed with rage that was short lived. "If she's supposed to be touched by their power how is she supposed to survive that?" He asked calmly.

"I don't know. Maybe she just will. I mean, the seer wouldn't tell her to go around touching them if she wasn't going to be protected, right?"

"Is that really enough to gamble someone's life on?"

"Excuse me." Maki interrupted them. "But I believe that's my decision." She remarked coldly. "My rune is called the Kismet Rune. By definition it's a rune of destiny. It's not really something I can avoid and discussing the possibility of my death is not going to make my destiny change."

"Well, it's definitely something to consider before you go charging in."

"I don't...I don't believe that she would put me in danger that way. And regardless, we still have to find the rune first before I can learn what I'm supposed to do with it."

"Hmph, I see...It's your life, so I suppose you can waste it however you want." Flik declared. Maki stood up.

"Yes." She said sharply. Her eyes were like ice as she looked at him and the room even chilled some when she turned away and walked out the door. Mat scrambled after her.

"Not cool." Viktor reprimanded Flik lightly.

Flik sighed. "You know as well as I do the inherent dangers of the true runes. If she's going to blindly chase after them, she's not going to last long."

"That's why she needs us to help her." Viktor replied. "Tir and Riou were pretty green too when we met them, and that Jowy kid went sort of evil without us helping him out." He turned in his chair to face Flik directly. "Look at it like this. That girl has a really big job to do, has no clue how to get it done, but is brave enough to wander out into the world to do it. Most of the world's greatest heroes started out just like that. Odessa started out like that."

"You are not seriously comparing that head strong, short sighted, girl to Odessa." Flik hissed.

"Maybe I am. I compared her to Tir and Riou too."

"This is different."

"How?"

"They were prepared for a fight. Tir's father was a general, Riou's grandfather was a hero, Odessa was a Silverburg. They were raised to do something fantastic."

"Oh yeah? And you know everything about this girl just by talking to her for a minute?"

"I know she's looking at a short path to a grave; that's all I need to know."

"She DOES remind you of Odessa, doesn't she?!" Viktor realized quite suddenly.

"Of course not!"

"Then why are you getting so riled up?"

"Because you're arguing with me!"

"I am not!"

"You just-" Flik took a calming breath. "Let's just go to Budehuc like we planned."

"No." Viktor said firmly.

"What do you mean, no?"

"Something important is going to happen to that girl and I'm not going to miss it just because you're acting like a kid."

Flik grumbled. "I am not acting like a kid."

"Yes, you are. Now come on, we need to catch them."

Maki continued her deliberate pace through the crowded street.

"Maki, maybe we should go back." Mat declared.

"No way. Those guys are just a waste of our time. We'll just go to the corner we landed in and wait for Teacher Nina and William."

"I don't think that's..."

"Come on, we're almost there."

The corner was surrounded by clatter and activity of the market, but that made Mat and Maki less obvious as they stood and waited. The scents of various spices floated over to them, tempting them towards the peddler's wares of fruits and cooked meats. Everything was themed to the city of Muse, which was more of a ploy for tourists to think they'd found some alley rich in culture, rather than a trap of overpriced wares. Maki was all too familiar with this particular brand of swindlers. Kanakan dealt with more than just trade to other countries, it dealt with people who traveled to it for the mysteries the island held. Little was known about her home to the rest of the world, which was a tactic brilliantly employed by the savvy elders of the clans that covered the island. Visitors to the island were often sworn to secrecy and shown things that delighted them, but had no real bearing in their actual culture. Young members of the clan, such as herself, were often encouraged to tell people anything they wanted to hear about the place in order to bring in more tourism. That knowledge actually made watching some of the tourists being taken amusing, though she knew it wasn't exactly difficult to do. Her amusement dropped just a bit when she saw Mat being pulled into the exotic myth of a local spices scent and its capacity to facilitate love. She managed to stop him from actually being roped into a purchase, though neither party seemed particularly pleased by that turn of events.

"He said it was from Kanakan. I thought that you might like something from your home." Mat sighed with a slight grumble.

"If I wanted to be reminded of home I would just go there." Maki rolled her eyes.

"Ah, there you are!" Yelled a voice she hadn't really wanted to hear right then. "You weren't waiting out here all this time, were you?" Nina asked as she and William emerged from the crowd.

Maki sighed. "No, we weren't."

"Oh good. Well! Off to Kyaro! First we'll get some supplies and-"

"Actually, I want to go to Gregminster." Maki told her.

"Hmm? What for?"

"Tir McDohl." Maki replied.

"Oh, I'd almost forgotten about his rune."

"Well, he ends up in Gregminster a lot. So I figure we have a fifty fifty shot of finding him if we go there."

Nina looked at her curiously. "How did you find this out?"

"A man told me. Viktor. He used to travel with McDohl."

"What?! Viktor's here?"

"Yeah. You know him?"

"Where is he?!" Nina's eyes glittered with excitement.

"At this tavern down the way. What does it matter?"

Nina was already off by the time Maki had finished. Mat looked a little confused about the whole thing.

"What was that about?"

"No idea." Maki replied. William stood there looking at Nina begrudgingly before following. Maki and Mat ended up following as well.

Somehow or another (nobody could figure out how and didn't exactly want to ask) Nina managed to find her way to the right tavern despite being in an area of the city rife with them. She bounded through the doors just in time to see Flik and Viktor rising from their seats. Viktor got a smile on his face so big it made his wrinkles deeper while Flik stared at her like a dog has just spoken to him.

"Sir Flik!" Nina screamed and tackled the man in a hug. "I KNEW our paths would cross again!" The others came into the inn to see Flik attempting (and failing) to get out of Nina's vice-like grip. Viktor was laughing quite hard, especially when Flik looked to him for help. "Look, sir Flik." Nina smiled up at him. "I grew into a beautiful sophisticated woman just for you." Flik had no way to reply to that other than to nod slowly. Nina saw the surprise and fear in his eyes and it made her let go. "Am I? Did I not do it right?" She asked.

"N-no. No no! I mean yes! Yes, you're....you're fine. I just...didn't expect to see you again. That's...that's all. How..." He cleared his throat. "How have you been?"

"I've BEEN waiting for you!" Nina snapped.

Flik looked if possible more confused and just a tad bit scared. "What?"

"When those men captured you I wanted to save you, but I couldn't." Nina replied. "So I trusted that you could get yourself free and come for me. So I went back to the academy and trained with runes! Years went by and...I never gave up hope that you'd find me again." Nina's eyes sparkled from the tears starting to well up in them. "And look!" She opened her bag of runes to show him. "I know how to use ALL of these. I can be whatever you need me to be in a battle! If you're ever captured again I'll be able to save you for SURE!"

"Men captured me..." Flik was confused. He looked at Viktor, who shrugged at him, but was still smiling.

"Of course! That's the only reason you would have left me all alone in Erud forest." Nina replied with her arms crossed just so.

"You ditched her in the woods? That's cold, man." Viktor laughed and put an arm on Flik's shoulder.

"Ditched...me?" Nina swallowed.

Flik desperately attempted to dig himself out of the hole he found himself in. "No I...it wasn't..." Viktor just laughed hysterically as he pulled away from what would likely be ground zero. Nina stared at him for some time. Her rage boiled in her until you could almost hear whistling, and then...

"I knew it." She looked at the ground and quite visibly deflated. "After fifteen years...you were either dead or..." She sighed, pulled herself upright, and turned to Maki, Mat, and William. "Let's go, kids. We won't make it to the border before sun fall at this rate." She said and ushered them outside.

"What...what just happened?" Flik asked, still staring fearfully at the door.

"I think you just dodged the world's biggest explosion."

Flik continued to stare at the door as though Nina was going to stomp back in and take his head off. "How did I manage that?"

"I think time helped you out on that one. She really grew up nice, huh?"

"I'm not sure if I should comment on that..."

"Why not? She's obviously not a kid anymore."

"Obviously."

"Well, I'm going after them before they have all the fun without me." Viktor pat Flik on the back as he passed.

"You're still going?" Flik asked in mild surprise.

"I told them I'd get them to Gregminster." Viktor shrugged and walked out. Flik stared after him for a good minute before standing and grudgingly walking out as well.

"So, who's the addition?" Viktor asked when he caught up with the group.

"That's William." Nina answered with a smile and without a hint of question as to why he was there. "He's not very talkative."

"So, two mutes, a red head, and a beautiful woman. Sounds like quite a party." Viktor smiled.

"It is, isn't it?"

Mat leaned over and quietly asked Maki. "Do you have any idea what just happened? Because I'm still confused."

"Not a clue. Don't really care." Maki answered without bothering to lower her voice.

"Oh...okay." Mat pulled back a bit.

Maki's curt response had come mostly because his question had interrupted her thought process. What Flik has said to her before about running blind into this situation had been right and she'd gotten offended because the last thing she'd wanted was anyone questioning what it was she was doing. She knew how leadership worked. She needed confidence, she needed charisma, and more importantly, she needed to be able to keep the people following her safe. Having a true rune was going to put her into a position of power. It was going to make people trust her. Maki understood that the second Lady Namora, a woman she'd never met before, trusted her to keep the secret of her nephew. It was beaten into her head when she told Viktor her story and he immediately offered his help even though there was no reason to believe her. Then this man Flik had known her for a minute and already the thought of her possible death upset him. Even Mat, her best friend for three years, was looking at her differently. Being so caught up in her thoughts Maki missed the sudden strong tension in the group when Flik sidled up silently. He didn't look particularly pleased to be there either. It did help reinforce her anxiety over the whole situation.

"I know that look." Viktor told Maki as they exited the town. "Everything just sort of hit you at once, huh? Usually takes longer for it to happen though. You get used to the feeling." When Maki looked up at the man she was surprised. She hadn't expected anyone to be able to read her this quickly, especially not this man. Viktor chuckled a little at her expression. "Don't worry too much about it."

"Yeah." Maki took off her glasses so she could clean them, which gave her a reason to not look at him.


	5. Chapter 5

Suikoden Zenkaiwohabamu

すいこでん ぜんかいをはばむ

**Chapter 5**

The soft wind gently caressed the rich green grass as it carried the light song of birds and insects along the plains. It would be some time before they reached Coronet to the south. The plan was that they would get a boat there and sail it to Banner. From that point either two things would occur. They would stock up on supplies to start the long walk to Gregminster, or fate would smile on them and McDohl would be there fishing, as he was prone to do at random occasion according to Viktor. Viktor had also said that this habit was nearly twenty years old, and might not be viable anymore. Whatever plan ended up being in use, it was going to be an uncomfortable trip to Coronet. Flik was bringing up the rear of the party and he hadn't said a word since he joined up with them. Viktor was doing his best to get the group talking, but the attempts just fell flat. Nearly an hour of dead air passed, and surprisingly enough it was William who was first to crack under the heavy silence.

"Okay." He said as he turned to the group. He walked backwards so he could look everyone in the face. "How about a traveling game?" He offered. His expression was one of complete seriousness, and something about that made everyone want to agree regardless of how stupid the idea was. Viktor seemed amused by the whole concept.

"Great, what did you have in mind?" He asked. William had apparently not planned that far ahead since it took him a moment to answer.

"I'm afraid I've never traveled before, so I don't know of any." He told the man.

"Then how do you know they even exist?" Viktor asked him.

"Do they not?" William asked without a single crack in his serious demeanor.

"Well, me and Flik used to break off and see who can get to town first with the most points." Viktor offered.

"Points?" William lifted an eyebrow to denote his confusion.

"You know, from how many monsters we killed." Viktor explained.

"Did you bring parts or something?" Maki asked him. Her interest was peaked if only because there was nothing else to be interested in at the moment.

"Stuff to sell if you wanted, but that's not how you kept score or anything." He replied.

"Well then how did you know who had how many points?" She asked.

"You kept up with it and told them when you got there."

"So what was there to keep you from just making up a number?" Maki wondered.

"Where's the fun in that?" Viktor asked her. Maki stared at him for a moment.

"Uh, how about we play something that doesn't involve killing stuff?" Mat asked after the color had completely drained from his face.

Viktor chuckled. "Fine, fine. Any ideas?"

"Um...well...Uncle Caesar and I used to do tactical drills." Mat suggested.

"Tactical drills? Really?" Viktor stared at the boy.

"It was mom's idea." Mat shrank under his stare.

"Mat's mom wants him to be a great war tactician." Maki told Viktor so Mat wouldn't have to. "She even named him after Mathui Silverburg. Really unfair shoes to have to fill if you ask me." Maki tucked her hands behind her head.

"I'm...not very good at it." Mat admitted.

"You're plenty good at it. You just give up whenever there's a scenario when people die." Maki rolled her eyes.

"If I was good at it there wouldn't be any scenarios like that." Mat repeated pressed the tips of his index finger together.

"Nonsense. People will always have to die." Maki retorted. "You're just going to have to get a stronger stomach."

"I don't want to though..." He muttered.

Flik actually spoke up from the back of the party. "Unfortunately sometimes we have to do things we'd rather not. That just how things are." The fact that he hadn't spoken yet made everyone take notice, especially Mat, who nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Y-yes, sir." He said to the ground as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

Flik sighed. "You need to not be so jumpy; a good tactician needs to not get flustered in the heat of battle." Flik had circled around to tell him that, and Mat looked up at him with eyes that were very nearly rounder than his glasses. You'd have thought Flik had smacked the boy from the fear that rushed onto his face afterward.

"Yes, sir!" He replied with a single vigorous nod.

Flik sighed. "We'll work on that..."

"Good luck." Maki chuckled. She'd found the entire scene quite amusing and the sense of familiarity from it had relaxed her quite a bit. "How about we just play something simple? How about I find an object that's within view and everyone can ask questions to guess what it is?"

"Oh yeah! We used to play a game like that when I was a kid!" Teacher Nina smiled.

Viktor shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Okay. I've picked something green." Maki declared.

"Is it a tree?" Nina offered.

"Nope." Maki shook her head.

"How about a wild boar?" Viktor asked as he got out his sword.

"That's not....oh." Maki blinked when she saw the large beast rushing toward them.

Flik moved up to stand to the left Viktor and William came forward to joint them. As the other three settled into formation, the three forwards started their attack. Flik and Viktor attacked together each getting a solid blow on the beast, but not taking it down. William came second with his own sword extended. He got a solid slice into the boar's abdomen, but not enough to make it flee. Next came Maki. She lowered her arm and took steady aim. The bullet blasted into the boar's leg making it unable to move. Nina lifted her arm into the air, said something arcane, and pointed her finger at the boar. A jet of fire rushed from her finger and lit it on fire. Once the damage from that was finished so was the boar.

Viktor sighed. "That was a bit anticlimactic."

"And you'd prefer it wasn't?" Flik asked as he put his sword back.

"I'd prefer a bit of a challenge, yeah." Viktor said sadly.

"That's fine, but keep in mind these kids have probably just been in their first fight." Flik replied.

"First? Please. I had to walk to Greenhill from Toto all on my own." Maki corrected him.

"I thought you had an escort." Nina replied.

"Yeah, six bullets worth." Maki rolled her eyes.

Nina blinked. "Really? That seems a bit unsafe."

"Yeah."

Viktor nodded. "That explains the good marksmanship then."

"Yeah." Maki sighed in annoyance.

Viktor looked at her amusedly. "You act like it's a sufferance."

"Kind of. Dad was always pretty excited about me learning how to do it. Apparently I showed a lot of talent as a kid."

"Ah, I see.."

"Not a whole lot of career application for it though. I mean, not unless I want to be a mercenary or soldier or something, and something like that would drive my mom mad. She wants me to get married and the kind of guy I'd meet in those places would never meet her standards."

As the party started moving, Viktor asked. "Is that why you were at the academy?"

"Well, yeah. Why else would I be there? I mean, I've got to find some way to make a living."

"True enough, I guess, you have to have some way to pay the bills."

There was silence again, and after a bit of walking William spoke up.

"So, uh, was it grass?" He asked. Maki looked at him strangely for a moment.

"Oh, yeah." She replied. "Your turn now."

"Ah...okay...I've spotted something shaped like a circle." He said.

"Okay, hm...that rock formation?"

"Nope."

The game continued until nightfall with only two more interruptions from random monsters. After a short debate on whether to push through the night, it was decided that the quickest they could get to a bed the better. By the time they reached the sleepy city of Coronet they were pretty exhausted and somewhat cranky. Given the fact that a few of the group members were about ready to bite someone's head off, it was probably a good thing they'd gotten too tired to talk hours ago.

Nina was the one to keep her smile the longest as she took care of the payments for everyone's rooms as well. The inn was small, but clean, and that's the most that mattered. Nina and Maki adjourned to one room while the men went to the other. Mat looked to be pretty nervous about this, especially when the men started to clean up.

"I'm going to go downstairs." He said briefly and left. No one in the room had any idea what that was about, but just shrugged it off as normal nervous behavior. He didn't come back until a while later, but everyone had fallen asleep by then so it didn't really matter.

Mat walked softly over to the balcony where he leaned against the railing and watched the town's light morning bustle. He never could sleep while the sun was out no matter how tired he was. He loved just sitting out in it with a calm breeze and a quill and pad of paper. He stared at the white thing in his hands and waiting for the words to write themselves down, but he was just too tired to see them to know where they would go. He sighed and looked out at the town again. It had a crisp orange glow to it from the sun kissing its back and it really was quite gorgeous. He didn't mean to but he ended up drifting off on the balcony. He was first discovered by William, who hadn't slept well since his mind had been with his aunt for most of the night. The boy watched him sleep as his own grog addled brain processed that he must have slipped through during the early morning hours. A fact that bothered him a little since it should have woken him up. Still, they had been trudging along most of the night so it was natural for him to sleep in a bit later. The logic didn't make it less unnerving, but it helped.

He considered waking Mat up to make him sleep in a bed, but the guy woke up on his own, and with quite a jump when he saw who was standing in front of him. His first reaction after the yelp was to ask,

"W-what were you doing?"

"Figuring out why you didn't just go to bed." William answered bluntly.

"O-oh. I...I wanted to see the town." Mat looked off to the side in embarrassment.

"Why do you have paper?" William asked. Mat looked down at it and then shot to his feet.

"Nothing. No reason. I'm going to go." He stammered and hurried into the room.

William blinked and followed after him, thinking about grabbing some food down below if nothing else.

Nina and Maki were downstairs already and now the group was just waiting for Viktor and Flik to wake up. They ended up waiting a half hour or so before they sent William up to rouse them. William went to do this without question, complaint, or really expression of any sort which, as the others were starting to learn, was his reaction to everything they told him to do.

It took ten minutes for him to accomplish his task. Both men were cleaned up and Flik had a mildly amused expression on his face. Viktor grumbled and rubbed his throat.

"Man, I haven't woken up to a sword on my neck since Gregminster." He said. His voice sounded gruffer than usual, but it was likely due to him only being conscious for a few minutes.

"Should we be going there, then?" Mat asked. He was either feeling unusually talkative that morning, or his natural paranoia goaded him into asking the question. The latter was the most likely.

"Oh sure! Those guys are probably long dead by now." He gave the group a big smile that crinkled his face.

"Well we haven't exactly been to Gregminster since 457 In Solis." Flik explained.

"457?" Maki blinked.

"You mean Solar Year. In Solis isn't the correct term." Nina declared. She was pretty much ignored.

"That was twenty four years ago!" Maki exclaimed after she mentally checked her math three times.

"Wow, was it really that long?" Viktor pulled up a chair, turned it around, and sat with his legs around the back of it she he could lean forward.

"Yes, it has been that long." Flik sighed.

"Man, that would make Tir forty this year. Makes me feel kind of old." Viktor observed. Flik put a hand on Viktor's shoulder and gave him a compassionate look.

"I have some grave news for you, friend." He said with as much assurance as he could muster. Viktor grabbed Flik by the arms quite urgently.

"Give it to me straight." He said firmly.

"There's no way I can tell you this without shattering your world, old chum." Flik shook his head in despair.

"I said STRAIGHT damn you!" Viktor shook him. He couldn't really keep up the dramatics and broke into laughter before Flik, which apparently designated Flik the winner judging by the pride in his eyes.

"Yes...well..." Maki turned her attention to the paper menu that she'd been forbidden to order off of by Teacher Nina until everyone was accounted for. "I've not had decent fish in some time. I don't know what they thought that leathered flake meat they serve at the cafeteria was."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad." Nina rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but have you ever eaten fish caught with a spear, marinated in vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and garlic, and then grilled on a plank of cedar wood until it flaked off of your fork?" Maki asked her.

"Ah, well, no." Nina said with an oddly surprised expression.

"Then you have never eaten fish properly and have no way of knowing the caliber of dreck you were shoveling into your mouth." She snapped off as she continued to look at her menu. Nina replied by popping Maki in the back on the head.

"What sort of manners are those?! No wonder you've never had a boyfriend." Nina reprimanded. Maki, who'd momentarily lost herself, was snapped back to reality by the blow.

"Sorry, Teacher Nina." She sank down in her chair and looked at the menu again. "My mental filters don't seem to want to work properly anymore." She explained softly. Nina looked at her like Maki had said something in another language. In fact, the only one at the table who didn't look confused was Mat. Maki sighed and explained. "My mother was very adamant on me wanting to be a lady, and ladies don't express their opinions freely. It's been...sort of a guilty pleasure since I went to the academy. One that I get a bit too comfortable with these days."

"Well your mother clearly does not know what a lady really is." Nina declared. "You don't suppress your opinions to the point they froth from your mouth. You learn to express them with respect and forethought for the ones you're speaking to." Maki stared at her as Nina's expression was again very serious. It was such an odd look for her that Maki wasn't even sure this was the same woman. Flik also seemed completely shaken by this side of Nina. Viktor nudged him in the ribs with his elbow and smiled knowingly at the man when he turned the stunned expression toward him. Flik decided to cover his face with a menu.

It didn't take long for Nina to slip back into her immature demeanor. She stuck her tongue out at Maki to show her amusement at the girl's confusion and then turned to her own menu. "I think I'll get the fish." She said.


	6. Chapter 6

Suikoden Zenkaiwohabamu

すいこでん ぜんかいをはばむ

**Chapter 6**

Coronet was a sleepy town that smelled of water and fish. If the scent of hot spices and salt had been added to the mix Maki would have sworn she'd stepped onto the streets of her first home. Her mother had always hated that simple house just outside the tiny fishing village and they'd moved to a home that sat just below the clouds and just above the congested city when Maki had still been young, but despite the majority of her life being spent there, her fondest memories were held in that tiny house. She could still taste the mellow grapes from the vineyard, she could still hear the giggles of the little daughter of the family who helped tend to the vineyard. They'd both been too small to help, but their desire had been strong, so their attempts at doing so often got them both in trouble. Maki hated when she had to leave her friend behind, but hated even more the day she realized she could no longer even remember the girl's name.

Maki had been too stuck in her memories to notice that they'd spent most of the morning trying to find a boat that would take them to Banner. The rampant rumors of the Lake Monster of Toran was keeping the fishing at the docks and the boats on their ropes. Maki slipped back to the present in time to hear the warning of an old man in an old brown suit.

"Three of our best boys have gone out to get supplies from Radat and never came home. I tell you this lake has become cursed!"

"Listen, if we can just get a boat my friend and I can easily take care of the monster." Flik told the old man as he pinched his nose to hold back his growing frustration.

"No, sir. I can't let any boats off these docks!" The old man declared. Maki realize that he must have been the town's mayor.

"Well we can't very well swim our way to the monster!" Flik snapped.

"We're on an important quest!" Nina interloped. "If we can't get to Banner then this town will have MORE than a big monster to deal with!"

"Listen, miss, I want to help you, but I can't let anyone out there." The mayor tried to explain. "Not until that monster is dealt with."

"I'm telling you! WE can deal with the monster if you just let us out there!" Flik fumed.

"And I'm telling you that I can't let out any boats. Now I'm sorry if that inconvenienced your trip."

"Forget it, buddy." Viktor put a hand on Flik's shoulder. "We can just head over to Two River and get a boat from Lake West."

"They won't be able to help you either. Until the lake is safe no one can send out boats by order of the Blue Mercenary Group."

"Blue Mercenary Group?" Viktor looked confused.

"Well where can we find them?" Flik asked.

"They're posted down at North Window Castle." The mayor told them.

"Looks like we'll be walking to Two River no matter what we do." Viktor stretched.

"Unless there's a way to contact them from here." Flik replied. "Is there?" He asked the mayor.

"Well, we should be getting word from them in a couple of days if you want to wait." The mayor told them.

"I don't see any harm in that." Viktor shrugged.

"What about our quest?!" Nina argued. "We might not HAVE two extra days!"

"As opposed to the three it'll take to walk all the way to Two River. Then who knows how long to get a boat that will take us across to North Window?" Flik retorted.

"Those days don't count! So long as we're moving fate will send us to people and places that may have a true rune!" Nina snapped at him.

"True rune?" Asked the mayor.

"That's our quest! We have to find all the true runes to save the world!" Nina bristled with pride and excitement.

"You know, I heard a rumor that the leader of the Blue Mercenary Group has a true rune." The mayor told them.

"Do you see?! Now we HAVE to go there!" Nina grabbed Flik by the arm and yanked him downward as she yelled that.

"Ah!" Flik yelled as he was nearly pulled off his feet.

"Do they come by boat?" Maki asked the mayor.

"It's possible." The mayor answered, happy to have someone who wasn't either yelling at him or on the verge of yelling.

"Then let's wait for the messenger. We could ride back with him." Maki declared.

"And if he walked?" Nina asked.

"We walk back with him." Maki said.

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Nina folded her arms just so.

"I'm sure that I'm tired of walking." Maki folded her arms as well. The two stared at one another before Nina smiled.

"Okay! I'll see to getting us a longer stay at the inn!" She scampered off toward the building.

"How did you do that?" Flik asked Maki as if she'd just performed some sort of miracle.

"I told you, that rune gets in people's heads." Viktor nudged him.

"It does not." Maki rolled her eyes. "As far as I know." She added.

"I don't think Kismet has anything to do with mind control." Mat spoke up to reassure her.

"Is there a blacksmith?" William asked the mayor now that it was decided they would be staying there.

"Yes, there is, son." The mayor nodded. "Just down the path a ways." He pointed off to the left. William nodded once and walked that way.

"That's not a bad idea." Viktor said. "The blade was feeling a bit dull back there." He walked after William.

"Right." Flik went with him. It was just Maki and Mat standing with the mayor now, and with the questions over the mayor decided to continue on with the fishing that they'd interrupted.

"So, what do you want to do?" Mat asked Maki.

"Um." Maki replied when it occurred to her that she had no idea what there was to do in a place like this other than one thing. "Want to fish?" She asked.

"Fish? I don't know how." Mat shook his head.

"It's pretty easy. I can show you." Maki smiled at him. It felt like such a long time since she'd smiled like that that Mat just smiled back and nodded in agreement.

"Okay!"

Both William and Flik waited in patient silence as the blacksmith sharpened their blades. Viktor, curious to see if William would be uncomfortable with this, also waited and watched the boy. He hadn't done a good job (or any, for that matter) at hiding his stare, so after a few minutes William turned that perpetually serious expression towards him.

"Is there something you need me to do?" He asked. Viktor found this response to be a pretty strange one, but didn't really know how to express that opinion, so he just shook his head. William turned his focus back to the blacksmith's work. Viktor decided to ask a question that was somewhat related.

"So where are you from, kid?"

"Greenhill." Came the abrupt and final response. Viktor did wait for the boy to elaborate some, but eventually got impatient.

"Yeah? You get out much?" He extended his thick muscular arms in a stretch and then tucked his meaty hands behind his head.

"No." Came the abrupt and final response again.

"I thought it was something like that." Viktor replied, but didn't bother to elaborate immediately. The dragging silence, however, forced him to. "You were pretty chatty on the walk over here, so I thought maybe you just didn't like silence, but since you've clammed up now that we're in the city, I'm betting it was because you were nervous about being out in the open."

"That is the case, yes." William told him. The blacksmith had finished with his rapier, so he took it back and checked the balance by doing some standard fencing moves. Satisfied, it put it back in the sheath. Viktor watched him in a slight stun since he hadn't expected William to be so directly honest about it. Flik apparently found this expression amusing because he chuckled.

"You're a strange kid." Viktor said after William walked to the door and waited. This was another thing he hadn't expected him to do. Usually men with such a cold attitude would have just walked out and continued their business. "You wanna grab a drink?" He asked, thinking a good strong beer would be enough to warm the boy up a bit.

"I'm underage." William told him with the same abrupt tone.

"Psh, if you're old enough to kill something then you're old enough to drink." Viktor rolled his sharp brown eyes. William stared at him for a moment as he sifted through the possible responses.

"I would rather not." He finally declared.

"Suit yourself, kid. Just remember that once we get to Gregminster the barkeeps won't be as relaxed about letting a kid drink a bit." Viktor told him. Flik retrieved his blade and tested it. "How old are you, anyway?" Viktor asked, if only to keep William talking since it seemed to bother him so much.

"Fifteen." William told him briskly. Viktor whistled.

"You've got some really great swordsman skills for a fifteen year old kid that's never left the city."

"I've trained so that I can protect my Lady Namora." William told him. Viktor smiled.

"Ah, is that your little sweetheart back at home?" Viktor asked.

"No." The remark actually got an appalled reaction from William. "She is my..." He paused as he reconsidered his choice of words. "I have been her servant for ten years."

"Wow, they sure to start training their butlers young." Viktor replied.

"She raised him, Viktor." Flik informed him. "Lady Namora was like his mother."

"Ooohh." Viktor retrieved his sword, but didn't bother to test it. "So what happened? How come you're not still working for her?"

"She...sent me away." There was no inclination of pain in William's tone, but there was a spark of it in his stone gray eyes.

"Aw, I'm sorry. Wanna talk about it over a beer?" Viktor asked as he put a thick around across the boy's shoulders.

"Viktor." Flik reprimanded him.

"Right right." Viktor rolled his eyes again, but didn't remove the arm. "You know, I got kicked out of my house too when I was a kid. It sucks, but you get to where you like the road." He smiled. William looked up at him and it was like his eyes were searching Viktor's soul. Viktor swiftly realized that the boy was determining whether or not he could believe or even trust him. After a beat William appeared to be satisfied because he looked away and gave a single nod. Viktor's smile grew broader. "If you don't drink, how do you feel about dice?" Viktor asked. William looked up at him again.


End file.
